Marriott Bonvoy and Samsung Card launch THE PRESTIGE card for Korea

Travellers based in South Korea have a new route into Marriott Bonvoy’s upper tiers. On 22 October 2026, Marriott Bonvoy and Samsung Card announced the Marriott Bonvoy THE PRESTIGE Samsung Card, a premium co-branded credit card that grants Gold Elite status on approval and links everyday spending to Platinum Elite status and Free Night Awards.

The partnership brings together two considerable networks. Marriott Bonvoy spans more than 30 hotel brands across 10,000 destinations, and Samsung Card counts 11.6 million cardholders. The new card sits at the top of that relationship and carries an annual fee of KRW 1,000,000. It is offered in two card material options.

Status is the headline benefit. Cardholders receive Gold Elite status automatically when the card is issued. From there, eligible spend of KRW 12 million in the first year lifts the member to Platinum Elite; in later years the threshold is KRW 24 million. For anyone who travels often enough to value upgraded rooms and the recognition that comes with a higher tier, the card offers a defined, spend-based path to it, alongside the usual route of nights stayed.

The same thresholds unlock a Free Night Award worth up to 60,000 points: KRW 12 million of spend in the first year, and KRW 24 million thereafter. A second Free Night Award, worth 50,000 points, is earned at KRW 50 million of cumulative spend. Taken together, a cardholder can collect up to two Free Night Awards within 12 months, which makes it practical to plan a weekend away or extend a longer trip around them.

The earning structure is straightforward. The base rate is 2 points per KRW 1,500 at all merchants, with no cap. On top of that, cardholders earn 4 bonus points at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties and on overseas transactions, and 2 bonus points on golf, duty free, airlines and department stores. Each bonus category is capped at 10,000 points a month. A further 3,000 bonus points are awarded once overseas spend reaches KRW 5 million, a detail that will suit those who spend a good part of the year abroad.

The travel benefits extend beyond the hotel. Cardholders have access to the Martina Gold Lounge three times a year, plus 12 visits a year to local and overseas lounges. Closer to home, there is a KRW 30,000 credit for dining and stays at participating Korean properties, available six times a year. Used well, that credit turns into a regular dinner or an evening at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Korea across the year.

Two launch offers shorten the route to status for early applicants. The first grants Platinum Elite to cardholders who spend KRW 4 million between 22 October and 31 December 2026, for applications received and approved between 22 October and 30 November 2026. The second awards 15 Elite Night Credits for cards obtained between 22 October and 20 December 2026. The credits are given once per Marriott Bonvoy membership ID and are issued in December 2026; they are forfeited if the card has been cancelled or suspended at that point.

For the discerning traveller in Korea, the arithmetic is the deciding factor. The KRW 1,000,000 fee is substantial, and the card’s value rests on spending at or above the thresholds that release Platinum Elite and the Free Night Awards. Those who already put significant travel and household spend on a single card, and who stay with Marriott Bonvoy brands at home and overseas, will find the structure clear and the rewards tangible. The launch window, which closes for the Platinum Elite offer on 30 November, is the moment to decide.

Source: Marriott